Roadside Attractions
by Rabidnar
Summary: Beca just wants to pick up the keyboard and launchpad that Chloe convinced her to buy off Craigslist. Only, Chloe has to bail on driving her there last minute. But according to Chloe, it's okay, because Chloe has found someone else to go with her. Roadtrip Fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I have a few Chaubrey fics happening now, so why not give Mitchsen a shot. First chapter is just a prologue; chapters will increase in length.

* * *

 **Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That all this fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._

 _-Snow Patrol_

* * *

"Beca, I am so sorry," Chloe says for what feels like it might be the thousandth time, "I really didn't know they were going to reschedule my final."

Beca puffs out her cheeks as she lowers her forehead onto her desk, keeping her phone pressed against her ear. "Dude, it's fine," she repeats. She has only been waiting for this trip all week. She's starting to regret buying a new keyboard and launchpad on Craigslist after hers were destroyed in a mysterious ceiling leakage in her dorm, and not just saving her money to buy one off the internet. At least a website would be willing to ship it to her, and wouldn't require a five hour drive (one way) – which didn't seem all that unreasonable when Chloe convinced her to buy it so they could make a road trip out of it. "I'll just pull some extra hours at the radio station and get new ones from Amazon." They'll just be a hell of a lot more expensive.

"Um, I was actually calling, because I found someone to go with you, instead of me," Chloe says, "I feel really bad, so… I asked around."

Beca lifts her head. "Is this someone you know…" she asks slowly, "Or another person you found on _Craigslist_?"

"It's a friend," Chloe answers cheerfully, "It's one of the Bellas."

"Why don't I just call the guy and see if he can wait another week?" Beca suggests. "We can go before we leave for summer break."

"I already made you wait long enough, and I can tell you're going a little crazy without them," Chloe says, "Just come over tomorrow like we planned. It'll be fine."

Beca closes her eyes and taps the corner of her phone against her temple a few times as she thinks. "Yeah, fine," she finally agrees. "Who is it?" She can't see a road trip with Fat Amy or maybe Stacie being _that_ bad. But how the hell did one of them manage to sneak a car on campus? Unless they're borrowing Chloe's… Being a Freshman sucks.

" _Shit_ ," Chloe whispers, sounding distracted, "Hey, Bec, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Beca looks at her phone after Chloe hangs up on her. She groans and leans back against her chair, closing her eyes. _Whatever. It'll be fine._ She wants to take her mind off it – but she has no keyboard, no launchpad, no way to make music, nothing to fucking _do_. Okay, she could study for her last final next week, but looking at that book is starting to make her eyes burn. She opens her eyes and sits up. She still has her laptop, thank god. She flips it open and does what she can with just that to finish the Road Trip Playlist that Chloe requested. It'll still come in handy if she's stuck with Lilly and has to spend the entire trip in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pixie1913:** Woohoo!

 **A/N:** My _intent_ is for this to be a short, quickly updated story - except for over the next week and a half when I'll be at summer camp. So, short-ish chapters, not much wait. That is my _intent_ anyway.

* * *

 **Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That all this fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._

 _-Snow Patrol_

* * *

Beca shows up at The Bellas' house _around_ eight the next morning, just like she and Chloe had originally planned. It's more like closer to nine, but it's a long walk from Baker Hall, and she admittedly pressed snooze on her alarm a few times before waking up. And since most of The Bellas are never on time anyway, she figures she has time to spare. If she's going to spend hours trapped in a hot car, she might as well take her sweet time and enjoy the walk over.

She expects to see one of the other Bellas waiting for her when she arrives, but they must be running even later than she is – because the only people she sees are Chloe and Aubrey sitting on the step outside the front door. They're talking about something and laughing. Beca actually has to do a double take just to make sure it's _Aubrey_ , because her hand is on Chloe's arm, and she's practically doubled over _giggling_. The moment she spots Beca at the end of the driveway though, Beca knows it's her. The switch is flipped, and Aubrey goes from laughing to scowling two seconds flat. She sits up straight and gives Beca a once over – looking both confused and disgusted by her arrival. Yup. _Definitely_ Aubrey.

"Hey." Beca directs her greeting at Chloe only. She knows it pisses Aubrey off for some reason when people ignore her. Point 1 for Beca as Aubrey's scowl turns into a frown, and she looks at Chloe for acknowledgement.

"Hey." Chloe grins up at Beca, and Aubrey seems to take it as a personal affront. Point 2. "Are you ready?" she asks.

Beca is as ready as she'll ever be. "Yeah, but, uh…" She looks around. "Who exactly is taking me?"

"You're looking at her," Chloe says.

Technically, Beca is looking at the lake behind them as she tries to spot another person, but she doesn't point that out. "Wait, they rescheduled your final again?" she asks and turns back around to look at Chloe. "Your professor must be having a lot of trouble making up his mind."

"What?" Chloe asks. "No, not me. My final is in a few hours." She stands up. "Aubrey is going to take you."

Apparently, Aubrey didn't know this either, because the look on her face is something Beca wishes she had her phone out to take a picture of. "No, no, no." She scoffs and gets to her feet in a mild panic. "You never said it was _Beca_."

Chloe offers Aubrey a soft smile and places her hand on Aubrey's arm. "I told you it was another Bella," she says calmly, "Beca is another Bella."

"I don't need to go that bad," Beca says. That's a lie. But she's okay with lying to herself, and to them, right now. " _Why_ can't we just wake until next week?"

"Why wait when you can just go right now?" Chloe asks.

"Because I _can't_ go right now." Beca glances at Aubrey, who looks like she is still trying to process what Chloe set her up for, then looks at Chloe again.

"Sure, you can." Chloe lets her hand slide from Aubrey's arm. "You both came to your agreement after winning the finals; why can't you go with her?"

"Because she's _Aubrey_ ," Beca answers, temporarily forgetting that Aubrey is standing right there. Really though, what other explanation does she need? It's _Aubrey_.

"Well, you're _Beca_ ," Aubrey comes back at her.

" _Really_?" Beca looks at her and smirks. "I didn't notice."

Aubrey's nostrils flare.

Point 3. Beca is coming out on top today, for once. She looks at Chloe again.

"I'm not taking her," Aubrey states and folds her arms, looking like a petulant toddler, "And I want to know what I did to you that you would put me in this position."

"Yeah, I'm kind of wondering the same thing…" Beca admits, because this does feel a lot like punishment – which she doesn't deserve. She just won them their title and their trophy. If anything, they should be rewarding her with putting up with Aubrey long enough to help them.

"You didn't do anything." Chloe tries to place her hand on Aubrey's shoulder, but Aubrey flinches away. She sighs and addresses them both. "Okay, you know what? Beca, you won't stop complaining about your music, and Aubrey, you're starting to go stir crazy, because you're done with your finals. And, _I'm_ going crazy, because I have to listen to the both of you. I still have things to do, so I need you to both go and talk to somebody who isn't _me_ for a day. Consider it Bella bonding."

Aubrey looks as offended as Beca feels.

"I love both of you," Chloe says, "But you need to get out."

"Seriously?" Beca asks, unsure of how the girl who started off their friendship by accosting her in the shower has the balls to tell her that _she_ is annoying and needs to leave.

Chloe gives her a sympathetic smile and nods.

"I _live_ here." Aubrey points at the house and then refolds her arms. "If you need privacy, _you_ get out." She raises her eyebrows as a challenge and smirks. "Beca wouldn't even go with me if I did take her. I'll take her, but she won't go."

Chloe looks at Beca. "Do you want to go get your stuff or not, Bec?" She shakes her head. "If you order it off of Amazon, you're only going to be able to afford eating Ramen Noodles for the rest of your life, and it's going to take weeks. If you go now, you're going to be back here in ten hours, _eleven max_ , and never have to talk to Aubrey again."

Ramen Noodles are the only thing Beca can afford to eat _now_. She heaves a sigh. She _does_ want this stuff. But enough to put up with Aubrey for eleven hours? She _did_ just put up with her for the past nine months. "She _won't_ take me." She sees right through Aubrey's words.

"She said she'll take you." Chloe turns and meets Aubrey's gaze, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows to match her. " _Right,_ Aubrey?" It sounds almost like a warning, and Beca is surprised she's being forceful. The two of them must actually be _that_ irritating.

"She doesn't want to go." Aubrey lifts her chin and doesn't budge. If anything, she looks entertained by the battle of wills. Probably, because she knows she can win. But Chloe looks fairly intent. And Beca realizes they might be standing in the driveway for _longer_ than eleven hours, at this rate.

"Fine." Beca throws her hands in the air. "Look, if Aubrey takes me, I'll go." She marches around to the side of Aubrey's car and tries to open the passenger door. It's locked.

"Great!" Chloe grins. "See, you're both willing to go with each other, right?"

Aubrey is taking slow, controlled breaths. She pulls her car key out of her pocket and holds it in the air, eyes still locked on Chloe, then unlocks the door. Point 100 for Chloe.

"Remember that Beca helped us and I won't be there to help you hide any bodies," Chloe tells Aubrey. She stands up straight and kisses Aubrey's cheek, then turns and walks to the front door. "Have fun, Girls!" she calls back to them as she opens the front door.

Beca watches the door close behind Chloe. What the _fuck_ did she just get herself into?


	3. Chapter 3

**Pixie1913:** You might be the only person reading this story. But it's okay. Look at us bonding over here! One is better than none!

 **A/N:** This story keeps getting follows and favorites, but none of y'all are saying anything. I, I feel validated, yet confused.

* * *

 **Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That all this fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._

 _-Snow Patrol_

* * *

"Are you going to get in?" Aubrey asks, not turning around. She still has her keyring held up, and Beca is semi-convinced she's going to relock the door the moment Beca tries to pull on the handle. She just seems like that kind of person. Not someone who would relock the door on anyone. Just someone who would do it to Beca.

Beca tries on the handle and is shocked to find the door actually opens. She pulls the door slowly then lowers herself onto the passenger's seat, touching as little as possible. Aubrey's car looks like it cost the same amount as Aubrey's college tuition, if not more, and it's also obscenely clean. It has leather seats, a sunroof, one of those touch screens for music and navigation – and Beca could probably break it just by looking at it wrong. It also smells _extremely_ good, and it's not just because she's used to Chloe's car smelling like cheap, fruity air fresheners and fast food. She closes the door and breathes in the apples and cinnamon scent, her stomach growling from it.

Aubrey opens the driver's side door and adjusts her sundress before sitting down on the seat. She pulls the sun shade from the windshield, and folds it up, nearly hitting Beca with it in the process.

"Watch it." Beca frowns at her and scoots closer to the door.

Aubrey ignores her and places it in the backseat, then closes her door and buckles her seatbelt. "Do you have the address?" She starts the car, then touches the navigation button on the screen.

Well, she isn't going to just wing it on how to get there. Beca pulls a folded up sheet of paper out of her pocket and hands it to Aubrey.

Aubrey stares at it for a few seconds before she takes it from Beca and unfolds it – reading the address and typing it in on the screen.

Beca pulls her seatbelt on, then takes the sheet of paper when Aubrey offers it back. She settles back uncomfortably against her seat as Aubrey pulls out of the driveway and onto the street. It's going to be a long, awkward ride – Beca can feel it. And her Road Trip Playlist is going to waste. She knows she shouldn't touch anything, not just because the car is expensive, also because it belongs to Aubrey, but she reaches forward to turn on the radio. She recoils as Aubrey reaches out and slaps her fingers. Slaps her fingers like she's a _child_. It doesn't hurt, but, "Jesus Christ, what the fuck, Aubrey?"

Aubrey draws in a breath, not taking her eyes off the road. "Driver picks the music," she informs her, "Shotgun shuts their cakehole."

"Well, then can you turn something _on_?" Beca asks.

Aubrey reaches forward and turns on the news.

Beca closes her eyes and tries to focus on breathing. There is one thing that she has in common with Aubrey. One thing _only._ Music. They may not enjoy the same music, but they both still like _music._ And Aubrey turns on _the news_. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Doing _what_ , Beca?" Aubrey snaps, "I am driving you five hours _one way_ for you to pick something up that you bought on _Craigslist_. It's _my_ car. It's _my_ radio. We'll listen to what I turn on."

"Okay, okay. Chill out." Beca leans back against the seat again. Maybe awkward silence won't actually be that bad. It'll be better than Aubrey yelling at her the entire trip. She isn't sure how Chloe deals with this. Granted, Aubrey only chews out Chloe about 1/3 of the time she's onto Beca about something.

"What are we even going to pick up anyway?" Aubrey asks.

"I need a new keyboard and a new launchpad," Beca answers, watching as Barden disappears from view. She wishes it a silent goodbye, in case she never sees it again.

"What happened to the one you already have?" Aubrey asks, sounding more and more irritated by the second.

"Dude, they broke, okay?" Beca wishes she would have just left things silent now. "Is a full interrogation really necessary?"

"What if the ones this person is selling you don't even work?" Aubrey asks.

Honestly, Beca never really thought of that – and she can't imagine Chloe thought of it either. "Then they don't work," she says slowly, trying to sound nonchalant. If she rides five hours there with Aubrey, and they don't work, neither of them will even have to worry about Aubrey killing her on the way back. She'll kill herself.

"So, let me get this straight," Aubrey says, "You were irresponsible with your things, so you decided to be even more irresponsible and replace them with something you don't even know works – from a stranger, five hours away."

" _No_ ," Beca corrects her, "Someone in the dorm above me did _something_ to their sink, and my room turned into Noah's Ark, without the ark. _I_ was going to buy new ones from Amazon, but Chloe, _your best friend_ , said, ' _No, Beca, why buy something you know will work from a reputable website when we can look on Craigslist and take a road trip fifty hours away so you won't have to eat Ramen Noodles forever?'_ " Maybe that isn't exactly what Chloe said verbatim, but Beca thinks she does a good job impersonating her overly-zealous voice. "And I said yes, because I didn't know it would end trapped ten hours alone with _you_."

Aubrey hums like she's thinking.

"Are you happy now?" Beca asks.

"Do I _look_ happy?" Aubrey retorts.

Beca doesn't even have to look at her to know the answer to that question. "Literally never," she answers. She did just see Aubrey laughing with Chloe, but that's besides the point.

"Then there's your answer."

Beca might as well just go to sleep. She leans her head against the window and watches the trees pass by. Unfortunately, she can't sleep, because the scent of Aubrey's car keeps reminding her she skipped breakfast – thinking she'd be with another Bella who wouldn't mind stopping to eat with her. She considers asking Aubrey to go through a drive-thru, but she isn't sure what Aubrey would be opposed to more – fast food or Beca eating in her car. Her stomach growls again loudly and she puffs out her cheeks, already tempted to start banging her head on the window.

Aubrey glances over at her.

"Yes?" Beca asks, raising her eyebrows.

Aubrey is silent for a moment, staring straight in front of her as she stops at a red light. "I planned to stop for breakfast," she says, "There is a café ten minutes from here. Best waffles in Atlanta." She looks at Beca and nods insistently.

Beca sits up straight, but tries not to seem too eager. "You sure you wanna add more time to our trip?" she asks.

The light turns green and Aubrey turns left. "I'm starving, Beca," she says, not sounding quite as bitter as Beca expects her to, "I want to stop and eat."

"Fine," Beca says. _Thank god._ "Yeah, I have no problem with it."

"Fine," Aubrey responds.

Beca is tempted to say 'fine' again, but self-preservation kicks in just in time. "But if the waffles suck, you're buying," she says. She kind of hopes the waffles do suck, because she doesn't have a lot of money.

Aubrey must be confident in these waffles, because she doesn't even hesitate. "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**Lizzethhhh** : Thank you!  
 **elocin1977** : Yay! Thanks!  
 **H.L** : I know you didn't mean to come across as offensive, but, not gonna lie either, you kind of hurt my feelings. There is controversy over whether or not Shakespeare even wrote Shakespeare. I'm not here trying to get it perfect with this story - I already have a full WIP that completely drains me, which is why I wanted to try some cute, fluffy stuff for once. It's not really meant to be a full on novel. I'm not used to writing the lighter stuff, but I expect practice will make me better.  
 **ixSkye** : Aw. Hello. Thank you! And, dude, never apologize for your English. Speaking more than one language is badass, and English is hard.  
 **Pixie1913** : It's okay, I still feel we bonded in the short time we had together!  
 **lee963** : Thank you!

* * *

 **Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That all this fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._

 _-Snow Patrol_

* * *

Aubrey parks the car next to a giant wooden fence. It's safe to say that Beca is a little concerned that she doesn't see a restaurant behind it, or any building at all, but, according to Aubrey, what does she know anyway? They grab their bags, Aubrey gets out of the car. Beca takes a moment, wondering if she should plan a self-defense attack, in case this is where Aubrey decides to kill her, then follows suit. There is definitely food somewhere in the vicinity, because it smells delicious. It also smells a lot like flowers.

"So, what is this place?" Beca asks, walking around the car to meet Aubrey.

"The Garden," Aubrey answers simply, and adjusts the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"And I haven't heard of it before, why?" Beca asks.

"It's only open in Spring and Summer," Aubrey says matter-of-factly, "And this is your first year in Atlanta."

Beca nods. She follows Aubrey to an opening in the fence where a hostess is standing behind a small podium.

"Hey, Aubrey," the hostess greets her with a smile, and looks around. "No Chloe today?"

"Not today," Aubrey answers, "She still has finals."

"Oh! I see you brought a new friend!" The hostess smiles at Beca. "Allison," she introduces herself.

"Uh, Beca," Beca answers, trying to look behind them, past the fence.

"This way, Ladies," Allison says, and leads them inside.

The name fits. The place is a literal garden. There are flowers everywhere. Everything is bright and feminine, and Beca feels out of place in her t-shirt and jeans. There are tables outside, and the only buildings are a small wooden hut where people are cooking and another wooden hut that has a 'Restrooms' sign. It definitely screams 'Aubrey and Chloe' more than it even whispers 'Beca', but it's nice and food is food. "Is everything grown fresh here?" she asks, noticing fruits and vegetables among the mix.

Aubrey sits down at the table Allison leads them to. "You can't exactly grow waffles," she answers.

Beca is about to roll her eyes, but the comment doesn't sound condescending and she realizes, judging by the amused look on Aubrey's face, that Aubrey is _joking_ with her. She raises her eyebrows, impressed. So, Aubrey has a _sense of humor._

Allison places two menus on the table. "Enjoy," she says with a soft smile, then walks away.

"I'm going to assume they have more than waffles here," Beca says and picks up the menu. They actually have quite a lot of breakfast options.

"The eggs are good too," Aubrey says and picks up the other menu.

Beca looks over her options. The prices aren't bad either. She can have waffles _with_ a side of eggs, and not break the bank. Hell, she can even get a drink. All of the waffles come with a choice of fruit on top, and she leans back against her chair and tries to make a decision.

"Hey, Aubrey," a male voice breaks the silence, and Beca looks up to see their server. She realizes Aubrey must either really love this place or be their only customer. "Do you guys know what you want to drink?"

"I'll take a caramel latte. Thanks, Mark." Aubrey looks at Beca.

"Oh." Beca quickly scans the drinks. "Yeah, orange juice is good."

Mark jots down their orders in a notepad, and walks away.

"So, you come here often?" Beca asks.

Aubrey glances up, startled, from her menu.

Yeah, okay, that was bad and definitely not what Beca meant. She tries to save herself by grabbing the cheese shaker on the side of the table, and puts it in front of Aubrey. "Too cheesy?" she asks.

Aubrey looks between her and the cheese, frowning.

Maybe Aubrey's sense of humor just isn't the same as Beca's. She smiles awkwardly under Aubrey's judging gaze and places the cheese back where it belongs. "I just mean, everyone here seems to know you," she says.

Aubrey nods. "Chloe and I used to eat breakfast together every morning," she explains, "We've come here a lot over the past few years."

"Used to?" Beca asks.

Aubrey just looks at her and nods again, then looks back down at her menu.

Beca is about to ask why, but it occurs to her that she knows why. Because Chloe insists on getting coffee with her _every. single. morning._ She wonders if Aubrey knows why Chloe has stopped going, because Aubrey doesn't look pissed at her. Aubrey just takes a breath and puts on an expression that Beca recognizes as her trying to cover up something bothers her. "That sucks," she says weakly and goes back to reading her menu.

Aubrey doesn't say anything else – only glancing up when Mark comes back with their drinks and to take their orders.

Aubrey doesn't even order waffles. She orders a peanut butter, nutella, and banana crepe – which sounds really fucking good, but now Beca feels like she has to order waffles. So she orders waffles with bananas and whipped cream on top, and eggs on the side.

As they're waiting on their food, Beca pulls her phone out of her bag and holds it on her lap, texting Chloe.

 **Beca:** _Why_ _dont u get breakfast with Aubrey anymore?_

 **Chloe:** _what?_

 **Beca:** _We're at the garden_

 **Chloe:** _omg u should try the waffles. theyre so good. i get them all the time._

Beca frowns at her phone.

"Who are you texting?" Aubrey asks.

Beca stuffs her phone back into her bag. "No one." She gives Aubrey a tight smile.

Aubrey tilts her head. "So, you're just frowning at your crotch?" she asks, "Is it really that small?"

Aubrey's humor is just fucking confusing; that's what it is. Beca's smile gets even tighter. "Should I whip it out so you can be the judge?" she asks smugly and crosses her legs.

Aubrey scrunches her face in disgust and mouths something that looks a lot like 'gross'. She shoots Beca a frown then examines the flowers beside their table.

How many points does Beca have now? 4? She docks herself the one she just earned, because thinking about Aubrey getting breakfast alone every morning makes her feel kind of like shit, regardless of how she feels about Aubrey. She taps her fingers on the table, trying to determine if she should talk or just accept the silence this time. She doesn't even know what she would say. "I like your car." That seems safe enough.

"Oh." Aubrey looks away from the flowers. "It was a gift from my dad, because we won the finals."

"Seriously?" Beca gives her an incredulous stare. "All my dad gave me was a pat on the back and a 'Good job, Beca.'"

"That must have felt aca-awesome." Aubrey goes back to examining the flowers.

"Yeah, I think I'd rather the new car," Beca says. She leans down and picks up a blue flower that fell off of the plant next to her, then places it on the table. "I didn't even know your dad was there."

"He wasn't," Aubrey says, "He's in Iraq." She looks up as their food comes, and smiles at Mark. "Thank you," she says as he puts their plates down.

Well. That information explains some stuff. "Thanks," Beca says, as Mark lays her plate in front of her. She isn't sure what she's supposed to say – if she's supposed to ask questions, change the subject… "Yeah, uh, sorry, I didn't know." She knew Aubrey's dad was hard on her after their little confessions circle, but not that he was also deployed. "Do you get to talk to him much?"

Aubrey sighs and zeros in on her food, cutting it with the side of her food. "You know, Beca, I had your dad for Advanced Comparative Literate when I was a Freshman," she changes the subject.

"Seriously?" Beca asks, "That must have been torture." Fortunately, she did not have her own father for class. It was hard enough just having him work at the school. She takes a bite of her food, and is suddenly in Aubrey's debt, because of these waffles. "Shit, this is delicious," she says, mouth half full.

"It was a good class," Aubrey says, "I learned a lot." She takes a bite of her food, and chews and swallows before continuing. "His literature and music lesson was very informative."

"Literature and _music_?" Beca asks, suddenly doubting that Aubrey is actually talking about her dad. He's like Aubrey, and would rather listen to the news than anything else.

"Mhm." Aubrey focuses on her food. "It was mostly about artists who have their songs translated to other languages, and whether or not the meaning really stays the same. Due to Phonology, most songs that have been translated are either inaccurate in meaning and sound good or accurate in meaning but sound bad. It generally has to do with syllabic versus melismatic phonetics."

Yeah, Beca has no idea what she's talking about. "Don't you have to speak like eight languages to take his advanced class?" she asks.

Aubrey looks like she's about to start laughing at her. "You only have to be fluent in three," she answers, "And not any specific ones; diversity is important to the discussion."

 _Only_ three. Right. Her bad. "So, what about you?" Beca asks. "Which languages do you speak?" Of course, Aubrey would be fluent in multiple languages. She can probably play about five hundred instruments as well.

"Well, English, obviously," Aubrey says, "I'm also fluent in French and Dutch."

"Why Dutch?" Beca asks.

"My dad was stationed in Holland for a few years when I was a kid," Aubrey answers, "We also lived in Wales, but not long enough for me to be fluent in Welsh." She glances at a squirrel running along under the bushes. "Did you know the Dutch word for squirrel is eekhoorn?"

It occurs to Beca that they're actually having a civil conversation. "I did not," she answers, trying to sound serious, "But that sounds like very important information and I will save it for if I ever need to warn the Dutch about squirrels." She can only imagine the day when she has to just start repeating a word that sounds a lot like 'acorn' over and over at people.

Aubrey suppresses a smile. "You never know when it might come in handy." She takes a sip from her latte.

Beca breathes a laugh. "Hablo Español," she informs she her, "Sort of." She took some Spanish in high school. She can't even remember if it was two or three years now. However many years it was necessary for her to graduate.

"I didn't take Spanish," Aubrey says, "My high school offered multiple language programs, but my schedule was already full."

"What is your major again?" Beca asks, as if she knew before and then forgot. She really never cared before now, but Aubrey is talking to her rather than at her for once, and it wouldn't hurt her to know.

"I'm a dual major – Music Theory and Actuarial Science." Aubrey gives her a challenging smile. "Yours?"

Oh, _shit_. Beca probably couldn't match that even if she did have a major. "I'm still deciding." She laughs at the ridiculousness that is her actually _deciding_ on a major for next year. "I didn't exactly _plan_ to go to college." Or to stay, and, yet, here she is. Music Theory isn't exactly a bad option…

"Me neither," Aubrey says, causing Beca to stop chewing mid-bite. "No, no, no," she quickly corrects herself, "I did; just not at Barden. I was going to join the Army and study Military Engineering. But my dad said the Army is no place for women, and I always wanted to be a Barden Bella, so I ended up at Barden. He didn't like that either, but it was a lesser of two evils. He would have preferred I accepted the offer from Harvard."

Beca does that even know where to start. There's the fact that Aubrey turned down _Harvard_ to be a Bella, or, "You do know there are plenty of women in the Army, right?"

"I'm aware," Aubrey says tersely.

"Dude, so then why not just enlist?" Beca realizes that her food is getting cold and her drink is getting warm, and tries to focus more on eating.

"My dad said no," Aubrey says.

Beca glances up. "You mean, you actually listened to what somebody else had to say for once?"

Aubrey places her fork down, keeping her hand on top of it, and tilts her head. "I could say the same for you, Beca," she says, frowning, "You clearly didn't want to be at Barden, where your dad forced you to go."

…Point 2 for Aubrey. "Touché," is all Beca can answer with. She realizes she must have hit something with Aubrey, because Aubrey stares down at her food for several seconds before she picks her fork back up and resumes eating, withdrawing from the conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

**LaraAelric** : I love all the parallels and opposites between Aubrey and Beca. They're so different, and yet completely the same.  
 **ixSkye** : You're totally understandable! No worries!  
 **Guest** : Thank you!  
 **H. L** : ...I am not really sure how to respond here.  
 **Pixie1913** : Aaaand, now I'm back! Or, well, I have been back but it takes me forever to keep up with all these stories, bc I am a procrastinator.  
 **Selene Elven** : Exaggeration is the only way to write. I feel like this fic is going to set a world record for longest written argument between two characters.  
 **30secondstoidealize** : Thank you so much!  
 **bechloe-bible-49** : I think it slipped past a lot of people for a little while bc I don't often write Mitchsen, so no one keeps an eye out for it from me.  
 **Guest** : Thank you!  
 **Magic2488** : The sass levels definitely run high in this story.  
 **elocin1977** : Aw, thank you!  
 **CloisDestiny** : I can't wait for the cute moments in this story either, and there will definitely be a few of them.

* * *

 **Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That all this fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._  
 _-Snow Patrol_

* * *

"We could go see," Beca leans forward in her seat, seatbelt digging into her collarbone, to squint at a sign in the distance, "The World's Smallest Horse," she jokes. Aubrey had turned the news on again the moment they got back into the car, and, honestly, even the sound of her own voice is more entertaining than anything happening on Wall Street right now. She wonders if she tried to plug in her auxiliary cord if she would return to Barden with her hands still attached.

Aubrey draws in a deep, exaggerated breath through her nose then slowly exhales it through her mouth. "Beca, how many roadside attractions do you think profess to owning the world's smallest horse?" she asks.

"I don't know," Beca answers, "But how do we know this one isn't the real deal? I mean one of them has to be the smallest right?"

"Unless several of them are the same size." Aubrey narrows her eyes at the road, and Beca knows that she's getting on Aubrey's nerves again. "In which case, it wouldn't actually be a phenomenon that warrants paying money to see, now would it? Also, I thought you had no money, and now you want to spend what you do have on a scam?"

Beca has to roll with it, now that Aubrey thinks she's actually being serious. "Dude, this could be a once in a lifetime experience," she insists, "What if it dies and no other horse is ever born that small? This could be the Guinness Record holder for small horses…" She doesn't expect Aubrey to glance behind them for cars then switch lanes so they can pull off on the next exit. She half-expected Aubrey to lean over her and open the passenger's side door to push her out of the car. But Aubrey is apparently full of surprises. "Wait, we're actually going?" she asks and looks around at their surroundings then at the GPS.

"If it will shut you up for the rest of the trip," Aubrey answers. "If I'm lucky, the two of you will bond over your shared height predicament, and they'll decide they need a World's Smallest Person as well. I'll put in a good recommendation for you."

Beca flops back against her seat, a mirthless smile pulling her face taut. She's already lost track of how many points either of them have; this might be the longest she's ever been alone with Aubrey. As a matter-of-fact, she can't remember ever being alone with Aubrey. She closes her eyes and leans her head back against the seat, trying to imagine it's Chloe that she's stuck with as the car merges onto the exit ramp. No doubt, if it was Chloe, they would be stopping at the same stupid place, only for reasons that weren't her own dumb idea.

"It looks like a farm," Aubrey states after a few minutes of silence.

Beca breathes a laugh. "That's generally where horses are kept." She knows what Aubrey means though. She has been to enough County Fairs to know what the Freak Show attractions look like. She, herself, had pictured the horse in some sort of cage – surrounded by souvenirs and brochures for all the other oddities these people managed to get their dirty hands on. "Maybe they'll hire you as Aubrey: The World's Most Anal-Retentive." The car slams into park, and Beca flies forward, knocking her forehead against the ceiling somehow. "Jesus Christ! What the hell, Aubrey?" She presses her hand against her aching head, caught somewhere between fear and a rage that only intensifies when she realizes that Aubrey is trying not to laugh. "Are you crazy?!"

Aubrey turns off the car and allows her hands to drop to her lap. "We're here," she says nonchalantly.

"No shit." Beca moves her hand from her forehead and yanks down the sun visor to assess the damage in the mirror. There isn't a red mark and the pain fades just as quickly as it, quite literally, hit her. "You could have _killed_ me."

"Don't be so dramatic." Aubrey unbuckles her seatbelt and opens her door. "Nothing like the smell of country air, right, Beca?"

The heavy stench of dirt and manure hit Beca's nostrils, and she wishes that hit to the head would have knocked her out. But then again, Aubrey probably would have just rolled her out of the car and driven straight back to campus. Or not. If she goes missing, Chloe will ask too many questions. Fuck Chloe. This is all _her_ fault. She unlatches her seatbelt and swings open the car door, quickly reaching out to grab it before it opens too far. She isn't about to be paying to fix Aubrey's car, no matter how pissed she is. "Can we just get this over with?"

"You're the one who wanted to see it," Aubrey reminds her.

Beca never _wanted_ to see anything. But it's still another break from the god damn news. She stands up and shuts her door – surveying the area. The parking lot is an empty, brown field with a bright red barn at the end. There is an old man in a straw hat chewing on a wheat stem and sitting on a bar stool right outside the building. He looks up from his phone and waves at them with a wide grin that shows all of his teeth – all, like, eight of them. She notes that it looks like he hasn't changed his overalls since sometime before she was born. "I think I saw a horror movie about this once."

Aubrey rolls her eyes.

"Howdy," the man says as they approach him. "You girls here to see Lil Lucky?"

"Howdy," Aubrey greets him back, and it's the first time Beca has ever heard a Southern twang in her voice. "We are."

He stands from his stool and acts as though he's brushing the several years with of dirt off the legs of his overalls. "For $10, you can feed 'im, pet 'im, and get a picture with 'im," he says, "But for you pretty ladies, I'll let you both in for a grand total of $5."

"Not a lot of customers?" Beca asks, earning herself a deadly glare from Aubrey.

"If you need another exhibit," Aubrey says, "I present to you The World's Smallest Person with The World's Biggest Attitude."

The man looks at Beca, chuckling so hard his wheat stem almost falls from his lips. He catches it with his tongue. "Hard to pass up a two for one deal." He winks at Beca and adjusts the stem with his fingers. "I pay my clients with a stall to sleep in and fresh hay everyday. That work for you?"

Beca presses her lips together in a closed-lipped smile that makes her appear like she's squinting from the sun. The outcome of this trip had better be worth the journey. She pats her pockets then looks at Aubrey with a sheepish grin. "Got $5?"

Aubrey's lips curl in disgust as she pulls a $5 bill out of her purse. "You already owe me gas money," she says.

Beca blinks. "Dude, Chloe wasn't charging me for gas."

"Do I look like Chloe to you?" Aubrey hands the cash to the guy.

"You could never look that pleasant." Beca rubs her eyes with her thumb and fingers, not even going to try to calculate the gas price for this trip. She might as well have just bought her shit from Amazon. Why the _hell_ did she listen to Chloe?

"Lil Lucky is in the third stall to the right," the man says, "But feel free to pet anyone. Everyone's friendly. And y'all can go right ahead and grab some alfalfa hay outta the buckets to feed 'em. They all love that alfalfa hay." He opens the door to the barn and leans against the doorway to watch them. "If y'all walk straight through, my wife is out back with the rabbits."

"Thank you, Sir," Aubrey says and walks inside.

Beca gives him a nod of thanks, even though she isn't really sure what she's thankful for in this situation, and follows Aubrey inside. It's nice – for a barn. There are five stalls lined up in either side – some empty, others occupied by a variety of farm animals that all look fairly content. A cow moos and manages to stick its head out far too close to Beca for her liking, causing her to accidentally bump into Aubrey. She groans and doubles back the other way, trying to stay out of reach of both of them.

Aubrey, clean-freak, once tried to sanitize the handle of Beca's dorm room door Aubrey, reaches out and scratches the cow's nose. She smiles as the cows breathes a short puff of air from its nose and presses its face against her palm. "It's just a cow, Beca." She smirks and raises her brows at Beca's obvious uncertainty.

"That's probably what all of the people who have been killed by cows said." Beca looks around at she horses, sheep, pigs...

Aubrey gives the cow one last pat then walks over to a giant black bucket overflowing with hay. She grabs a handful and carries it over to several sheep that are all fighting to poke their heads between the metal bars on the door of their stall.

"Did you live on a farm _too_?" Beca asks, watching her try to make sure each sheep gets an equal amount of hay. It wouldn't surprise her seeing as Aubrey apparently lived in fucking Holland and Wales.

"No," Aubrey answers, "But my grandparents did."

 _Of course._ Beca grabs some hay from one of the buckets and slowly walks up to Lil Lucky's stall. He's tiny, but not the unrealistic picture of a pocket-sized horse that Beca had in her head. He's shorter than she is, at least – maybe about two feet – and she has to get down on one knee to feed him. She looks at the hay and then at his teeth as he nickers at her. A sneak glance at Aubrey shows her how she's feeding the animals and still keeping her fingers attached. She places her hand flat and tries to hold it close to Lil Lucky's mouth, jolting back with a grunt as his lips graze her palm. The hay falls on the ground in front of his stall, and they both just stare at it.

Lil Lucky whinnies, clearly upset with her awkward incompetence.

Aubrey glances over at her, looking far too entertained for Beca's liking. She stands and walks over to her and the horse then squats and picks up all of the fallen hay. "Hold your hand out flat."

"Yeah, I got that part," Beca states, not moving her hand.

Lil Lucky whinnies at them again.

"Look, he wants you to feed him," Beca tries to pass the buck.

"He wants anyone to feed him." Aubrey grabs her hand and places the hay against her palm.

"He ain't gonna eatcha," The farmer says, "Though the pigs, on the other hand, might like the meal."

Beca cringes, unsure which is worse: Aubrey holding her wrist or the horse drool that ends up all over her palm as Lil Lucky gratefully devours the hay in a matter of seconds. She drops her hand once she he's done, letting Aubrey be the one to scratch behind his ears. Somehow, she pictures Aubrey as that girl in middle school obsessed with horses now. "Can we go now?" she mutters, keeping her voice low so she doesn't earn herself any more comments from the guy at the door.

"We still need a picture," Aubrey says, "And to see the rabbits."

"Why do we need a picture?" Beca asks.

"For Chloe." Aubrey stands up and brushes her hands together.

" _Why_?" Beca asks again.

"Because if she finds out we had the opportunity to take one and didn't, we'll never hear the end of it." Aubrey pulls out her phone and turns to look at the farmer. "Would you take a picture of us?"

"Course I would," he says and walks inside. He unlocks the door of Lil Lucky's stall and opens it up.

"Wait, you're letting him out?" Beca asks as she stands up and takes a step back.

"Unless you wanna go inside," he answers. He pats his knee and Lil Lucky takes a few steps out. "Just put your arms around him," he says, "He won't hurt ya."

Aubrey hands her phone to him then maneuvers herself onto her knees and drapes one of her arms over the horses neck. "Come on, Beca," she urges her impatiently.

Beca makes a face as she gets back down on one knee. She folds her arms and glares at Aubrey's phone as the farmer holds it up and tries a few different angles.

"I won't take it til you smile," he says and looks at Beca.

Determined to just get it over with, Beca groans internally and plasters on the biggest, most sarcastic smile she can, hoping Chloe will be able see just how pissed she is. The phone flashes, and she wastes no time clambering back to her feet once the picture is taken.

"Thank you, Sir." Aubrey stands and takes her phone back. "Do you want to see the picture?" she asks Beca.

"No." Beca eyes Lil Lucky as he starts wandering the barn.

Aubrey presses buttons on her phone, no doubt sending the photo to Chloe. She stuffs her phone back into her bag and looks at Beca. "Rabbits?"

"You do realize the longer we spend here, the longer this trip is going to take, and the more time we have to spend with each other, right?" Beca asks. "If we get on the road, we can get there and get back before we drive each other completely crazy. It's a ten hour drive as it is."

"Are you scared of animals?" Aubrey asks, knitting her brows together.

"What?" Beca asks, trying to sound incredulous. She tells herself it's not fear, rather a lack of exposure. Both of her parents had been 'strictly no pets' growing up, and she couldn't say that she had ever minded. While her classmates were trapped with the responsibility of walking their dogs or feeding their cats, she was free to remain holed up in her room making music. "Dude, I'm not scared of animals."

"It's understandable." Of course, Aubrey completely brushes over her answer. "I have quite an aversion to insects."

"Great?" Beca slaps her thighs. "Good for you." She gives her a smile of forced interest.

Aubrey folds her arms, her frowning forming what almost looks like a pout. She turns on her heels with a huff and marches toward the back door of the barn, Beca following reluctantly behind her.

Being outside smells even worse than being inside somehow. Beca quickly sidesteps as a chicken makes a beeline for her and tries to peck at her shoelace. She watches the ground as she walks, making sure not to accidentally step in anything.

"Look, Chad, visitors!" an older woman announces, and Beca glances up. It's safe to assume the duck the woman is holding is Chad.

"I thought we were here to see rabbits, not birds," Beca states, sidestepping away from the same chicken.

"Oh, we have plenty of rabbits," the woman says and places the duck down, "$20 a bunny if you're interested in buying one."

"If I like one, can I put it on hold until tomorrow?" Aubrey asks.

"You can," the woman says with a smile and a nod.

Beca walks up beside Aubrey, arching a brow. "You're not allowed to have pets on campus," she says slowly, smirking at the thought of Aubrey Posen breaking the rules.

Aubrey glances at her. "Do you know how many pets Chloe has smuggled into our house right now?" she asks. "Avoiding inspection from campus security feels like avoiding a drug raid from the police."

"Wait, seriously?" Beca asks.

"We have three cats and a hedgehog, Beca. Where have you been?" Aubrey asks.

"Not mentally present, apparently," Beca states and tries to remember ever seeing these creatures, "What do you do with them over break?"

"One cat goes home with me," Aubrey answers, "The others go home with Chloe. I wouldn't mind taking one more home."

"So is that the custodial decision after graduation?" Beca asks.

Aubrey just frowns at her. She draws in air and turns back to the woman. "Can I see them?"

"Of course, Dear," she says, "Follow me."

Beca trails slowly behind the two of them, keeping her eye on the chicken that seems to be stalking her shoes. She puffs out her cheeks, reminding herself how worth it all of this will be later when she's back at her dorm. Even being stuck with Kimmy Jin isn't sounding half bad right now. They stop in front several stacks of large wooden cages, each holding multiple rabbits.

"I have a knack for picking out the ones people will love," the woman says and opens one of the cages. She pulls out a large white rabbit with a black ring around its right eye and offers it out to Aubrey.

Beca pulls out her phone and opens up a text to send Chloe. ' _U have 3 cats? And a hedgehog?'_ She hits send. She regrets it when Chloe immediately sends back three messages – each one of her posing dramatically with a different cat. In one of them, she and the cat are both wearing black hats and sunglasses. In another, the cat is wearing a bowtie and Chloe is kissing its cheek. And, in the third, the cat is licking its nose and Chloe has her tongue out in an unsuccessful attempt to lick her own nose. Beca finds that she doesn't want to know how many selfies with these cats Chloe probably has on her phone. She does kind of wonder which one belongs to Aubrey, and bets it's the one wearing a tie. The cat pictures are followed up by a picture of Chloe pretending (or at least Beca hopes she's pretending) she's about to juggle the hedgehog with two hacky sacks.

"And one for you," the woman says to Beca.

"Yeah, no thank you," Beca says, not looking up at the rabbit as she stuffs her phone back into her pocket. She isn't expecting the thing to be shoved against her chest, and she's forced to hold it, because the lady lets go of it and she has to catch it before it fucking falls. The pure black, tennis ball sized mass of hair squirms, and she quickly slides one hand underneath it. It's hard to distinguish any of its features outside of two pointy ears attached to where Beca assumes its head is located. She holds it up face level once she has a firm, but not too tight grip on it, still in shock. It's so damn tiny that it fits in her palm, and she can see its nose wiggling now, and, shit, is she accidentally smiling? Before she can process anything, Aubrey has her phone in her free hand and is snapping a picture. "Do _not_ send that to anyone," she warns her, quickly lowering the baby rabbit.

Aubrey ignores her and takes a selfie with the rabbit she's holding.

Beca wipes the smile off her face and looks down at the rabbit again. It burrows into her hands. Nothing alive should be allowed to be this fucking soft.

"We need to take another picture," Aubrey announces and walks over to her.

"What?" Doesn't Chloe have enough pictures of them? Beca looks up. "Why?"

"Instagram." Aubrey stands beside her and holds up her phone. "Either smile or don't."

It's not fair, because it's a little hard not to smile while holding something so tiny. "I don't want to be on your Instagram." She holds up the rabbit next to her face and smiles anyway, because, if anything, _this_ will make Chloe regret not being the one to go on this road trip. She cringes once the picture is taken, because it's actually a really cute fucking picture. "Send that to me." She quickly catches herself. "I want to remember the rabbit."

Aubrey hums a response and walks away from her, fiddling with her phone.

"For $20, it could be your rabbit," the woman informs her.

"Yeah, I don't think my roommate would be quite so fond of smuggling rabbits onto campus as Aubrey's," Beca says and rubs between the rabbit's ears with her thumb.

"You never know," Aubrey tells her.

"You've met Kimmy Jin," Beca reminds her, "You know how she is."

"I've also met you and know how you are, and yet…" Aubrey nods at the rabbit in Beca's hand.

"The answer is no." Beca hands the rabbit back to the woman, feeling a sharp twinge of regret once she's not holding it anymore. "We need to get on the road."

Aubrey heaves a sigh. "I want this one," she tells the woman and hands the rabbit back to her, "I'll be back tomorrow."

"They'll both be here ready for you," the woman says and winks at Beca.

Beca gives her a tight smile and a wave goodbye, being the first to start walking back toward the car.

"You know, I bet there are other things to do on the way," Aubrey says, walking after her.

"Do you _want_ to get there and get back?" Beca asks, "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say you're looking for reasons to spend time with me?" She snorts at her own joke.

"I'm just saying it's not like we have anything better to do, and if it's on the way…" Aubrey pauses. "You can't say you didn't enjoy that."

"I didn't enjoy that," Beca deadpans. She can still feel those stupid tiny feet in the palm of her hand and see its dumb little twitching nose – the smallest feet and nose she's ever seen. She shudders at _herself._ "That was the worst."

"Fine, then we can do something that you want to do," Aubrey says, not bothering to hide how begrudgingly she says it, as they step back into the barn, "Even though that was technically your idea."

" _Anything_ I want to do?" Beca asks curiously, wondering what the worst possible attraction on their way could be, and if it would be enough to convince Aubrey not to stop for anything other than the occasional restroom break.

"Well, I do feel like it should be at least mildly enjoyable for us both," Aubrey answers immediately.

Beca exhales a laugh. So much for that idea. "Fine," she complies, hoping maybe this will be enough to get them on their way after this, "One more stop."

"You girls have a good time?" The farmer asks.

Aubrey smiles and nods. "Do you have to know if there are any other attractions in the area that might be worth stopping at?" she asks him.

The farmer grins and adjusts his wheat stem. "Let me get you a stack of brochures."


	6. Chapter 6

**Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That all this fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._  
 _\- Snow Patrol_

* * *

"These all look boring as shit. Who wants to see a giant fake peanut?"

"Or a Coca Cola shrine?" Aubrey places the brochure she's holding on the center console – sitting crisscross with her knee against the steering wheel. "What about the National Civil War Naval Museum?"

Beca scrunches her face. "Dude, look at this one." She turns the brochure over for Aubrey to see it. "Tank Town. You can drive a tank over an old car."

Aubrey tilts her head like she might actually be considering it then just gives Beca a lopsided frown.

"Alriiight." Beca sighs. "There's a _large_ cow statue." That's literally all the brochure says. ' _Large_ Cow Statue' and an address.

Aubrey leans forward to look at the paper. "We just saw a real cow." She leans back and continues shuffling through brochures. Georgia, surprisingly, has a lot to offer in the way of tourist attractions. "Ooh. There's a lemonade stand. It says you can taste test over fifty flavors of lemonade."

" _Fifty_ flavors?" Beca asks, "How the fuck did they find _fifty_ ways to flavor lemonade?" She can think of twenty. _Maybe._ And even a few of those sound disgusting. Banana lemonade, anyone?

"Well, we could go and find out," Aubrey suggests.

Beca makes a sound of disgust and keeps looking.

"Fine." Aubrey leans over Beca and places the brochure in her glove compartment, "I'll just go with Chloe."

 _Chloe, who doesn't even go to breakfast with you anymore, Chloe_? Beca halts herself before she says the words out loud and frowns – at herself. Aubrey is being exceptionally pleasant right now, and that, no doubt, would have ended with all of the brochures shoved straight down Beca's throat. She puffs out her cheeks and nods. "Yeah." Does she sound too encouraging? "Sounds like a plan." She holds up two brochures. "There's Old Car City," she suggests absently, "The Prisoner of War Museum…"

Aubrey looks up with only her eyes, staring at the Prisoner of War ad like it's a bomb.

 _Shit._ Aubrey had said her dad was in Iraq. _Smart, Beca._ Beca forces a smile and slides the brochure under the bottom of the pile. "Well, I don't know," she says and pushes them all toward Aubrey, "Pick something."

"I did," Aubrey says, "I picked lemonade."

Beca rolls her eyes. "Pick something _else_ ," she replies.

Aubrey heaves a sigh and picks up one of the papers. "What about this?" she asks and smirks, "It's a Cabbage Patch Kid hospital. We could get you a doll."

Beca scowls and grabs the papers back, accidentally dropping half of them. She ignores the look she gets from Aubrey. "The Crime and Punishment Museum?" she suggests.

Aubrey shakes her head, gathering up Beca's mess. "I saw that episode of Black Mirror," she says, "I don't want to end up in a monkey."

Beca gives her a look.

"Ooh!" Aubrey grins. "I found something." She shoves the brochures at Beca and turns around to start the car.

"Something I'll like?" Beca decides to ask, "Because I thought this was supposed to be something _I_ want to do."

"Um." Aubrey glances at her before she takes the car out of park. "Sure." She smiles and nods – not convincing at all.

"Then why do I feel like I'm going to be miserable?" Beca asks.

"Because you're a miserable person," Aubrey answers without missing a beat and pulls out of the field, driving back in the direction of the road.

"Only around you." Beca sinks down against the seat.

"Beca," Aubrey says slowly, not taking her eyes off the road, "I'm honored to give you feelings you've never felt before."

Beca rubs her face. "Thanks," she replies, "I never thought I'd get the chance to feel homicidal."

Aubrey settles back against her seat with a stupid smug grin on her face. "We're going somewhere that will suit you."

"If _you're_ saying it's going to suit me, I don't think I want to see it."

Aubrey ignores her.

"So…" Beca taps her fingers on her knees.

"Hm?" Aubrey hums.

"Where are we going?"

"Is this your equivalent of are we there yet?"

"Maybe."

"Somewhere," Aubrey answers her.

"Is that _your equivalent_ of because I said so?"

Aubrey still looks unnervingly happy with herself. "Maybe."

"Great." Beca closes her eyes and hits her head back against the seat. "I can't wait to see what _you_ think I'll enjoy."

"You're going to love it."


	7. Chapter 7

**Roadside Attractions**

* * *

 _And it's beginning to get to me,_  
 _That I know more of the stars and sea,_  
 _Than I do of what's in your head,_  
 _Barely touching in our cold bed._  
 _Are you beginning to get my point,_  
 _That always fighting with aching joints,_  
 _Is doing nothing but tire us out?_  
 _No one knows what this fight's about._  
 _\- Snow Patrol_

* * *

"The Museum of _Miniatures_?" Beca deadpans.

Aubrey presses her lips together like she's trying not to bust out laughing.

"Dude, I don't like you at all right now," Beca informs her.

"You never liked me to begin with."

Good point. "Are you fucking serious?!" Beca exclaims either way. "I'm not getting out of the car."

"Why? Are you afraid they'll put you on display?" Aubrey asks.

Beca is going to kill her before this trip is over. She is going to kill her, leave her body in a ditch – and then get royally fucked up by Chloe, so, never mind, that's a terrible idea. "You can't make me leave this car."

Aubrey turns the news back on.

"I am learning _so much_ about…" Beca pauses to listen. What is she learning about?

"The French Elections," Aubrey informs her.

"Literally my favorite topic," Beca feigns enthusiasm, "I love the French. That whole revolution they had. _Great_ fries."

"T'es con comme une valise sans poignée." Aubrey smiles at her.

"Pft, yeah, I totally agree." Beca pulls out her phone to complain.

 **Beca:** _im bored dude aubrey listens to the news nonstop_

 **Beca:** _i thought she'd at least put on some shitty music_

 **Chloe** : _yeah. she's been pretty obsessive with it since her dad got deployed again. the bombings near him rly freak her out._

Well, _aca_ -awesome, now Beca feels like a dick. She looks over at Aubrey, and realizes she's just sitting there, listening – and Beca can just imagine she's waiting for them to say something she doesn't want to hear. "Fine!" She has to make a show of it. "Jesus! You have _five_ minutes to look inside this building." She flings open the car door after she unbuckles her seat belt and steps out. "Hurry up."

Aubrey follows her out of the car, taking her grand ol' time. _Now_ is apparently the time to run her finger across the top of her car door to check for dust before closing it.

"You're just extending your time with me," Beca reminds her – and gets ignored. Like she never fucking spoke. She stands there with her arms hanging limply by her sides, as Aubrey walks past her to the building's front door. "Wait."

"I thought you wanted me to hurry up."

Beca tilts her head back and laughs – not because any of this is funny, but because Aubrey is so effortlessly infuriating. She doesn't even have to try; she just _is_. And Beca has to spend this entire day with her. If she wants to get through it, she has to just laugh. She tilts her head back down to find Aubrey staring at her like _she's_ the one with the problem. "What?"

Aubrey opens the door.

Beca inches her way sideways inside, because sometimes she's afraid Aubrey is just going to haul off and punch her for no good reason. Well, okay, maybe she might have some reasons – but none of them that warrant punching her at random. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Aubrey presses her lips together until they form a straight line.

"Like _that_."

"This is just what my face looks like, Beca." Aubrey shuts the door and folds her arms across her chest.

"But _why_?" Beca asks.

"I don't know. Do you want me to make you a Punnett square presentation detailing of all my family's genetic traits?" Aubrey inquires.

"You mean you don't already have one?" See? _Now_ would be the appropriate time to look like she wants to punch her.

Aubrey walks past her.

"Come on! I learned all the genetic knowledge I know from the Sims!" Maybe Aubrey's entire family just constantly looks like they want to hit someone. Maybe Aubrey actually enjoys Beca being around! …yeah, probably not. Beca sees how happy she is around Chloe.

This place is actually kind of cute.

The level of detail is something that even Beca can appreciate.

The dollhouses look like miniature Victorian mansions – built and painted and furnished to perfection.

"Everything in here must have taken _years_ ," she says and joins Aubrey in peering in the windows of one of them. The tiny kitchen has pots and pans hanging above a sink. Underneath, the cupboard is open, revealing the fake metal plumbing. Beca would never have the patience.

"I bet they'd let you take out a mortgage," Aubrey says.

"I would totally live one of these." Beca finds the doll that lives there sitting downstairs in the kitchen with a newspaper. "This is the kind of woman whose third rich husband just mysteriously died."

"She's reading his obituary," Aubrey adds.

Beca laughs – a _real_ laugh. "And the singles ads."

"No, no," Aubrey disagrees, "She'd never find a man that rich in the newspaper. She steals men from the other women in the neighborhood."

" _What_?" Beca asks.

"Mhm," Aubrey hums, "They all hate her, so she steals their husbands then collects their life insurance for herself."

"Why do they hate her?" Beca asks, "I mean, besides _that_."

"When she moved in," Aubrey answers enthusiastically, "She refused to eat the five hundred casseroles the neighbor women brought her, because she insisted to her first husband that she could have cooked them better."

"That's a really fucking lame reason," Beca says.

"Well, then _you_ come up with something."

Beca puffs out her cheeks. "She's actually a lesbian."

Aubrey looks at her.

"Yeah," Beca says, "She's having sex with all the women in town, and she has to kill their husbands so they can be free. So, she pretends to be in love with them, and then poisons them with the help of their wives."

Aubrey covers her mouth to muffle a giggle.

She has one of the cutest fucking laughs Beca has ever heard – and Beca is taken aback, because she rarely hears Aubrey laugh.

"She's brilliant," Aubrey states, "Absolutely genius."

"Of course, you would think that. Are you gay?" Beca jokes.

"I'm sorry?" Aubrey looks up quickly. "No, no, just, you know, female empowerment."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Beca asks curiously, following Aubrey to the next house.

"That's none of your business."

"A girlfriend?" Beca asks – because who knows. Aubrey is an enigma to her.

" _Beca_."

"Someone you like, at least?" Beca realizes she's put herself back into the 'punch me' zone.

Aubrey's cheeks flush pink.

"You _do_! Who is it?" Beca is more than curious now.

"You don't know them," Aubrey answers, "What about this house?"

"So?" Beca doesn't care about this stupid dollhouse. "What's their name? Are they a he or-"

"It's nobody, Beca." Aubrey's face just keeps getting redder. "Okay? It's nobody. I am happily single."

"You just said I don't know them," Beca continues to pry, "So, it has to be someone. Is it a Treble?" No. Nope. Definitely not a Treble. Beca takes a step back out of Aubrey's kill-range. "If it makes you feel any better about the Trebles, kissing Jesse was like kissing my brother."

"It doesn't."

"Can I ask just one more question?" Beca asks.

"No." Aubrey walks away from her.

Beca follows. "Are you dating someone or do you just like them?"

"Why are you suddenly so invested in my personal life, Beca?" Aubrey stops and turns to face her. "Are you jealous it isn't you?"

Beca sputters over air. "What?"

Aubrey arches her brows. "You're constantly trying to pick a fight with me," she says, walking forward, causing Beca to walk back, "Everything you ever said during Bellas practice was some dick comment, meant to piss me off. How do I know it isn't all some ploy to get my attention?"

Beca stops when she bumps into a wall. Both of their faces are flushed now, and, damn it, Beca should have stopped while she was ahead. Aubrey is really close to her, inches away, and Beca presses her lips together in an awkward smile, trying to think her way out of this. Because, no, she doesn't have some weird masochistic crush on Aubrey – but dear God does she smell good, and if she just took one step closer…

Aubrey steps back.

Beca taps her fingers against the wall by her sides – kind of afraid to move.

"What about this one?" Aubrey moves to a different house. "There's a whole family living here."

Beca looks at the interior of the tiny house from where she's standing.

Aubrey glances up then back down. "You don't want to play anymore." Is she disappointed? "That's fine." She straightens her dress, sliding her hands down her sides, and stands up straight.

"Uh, no, I do," Beca says – a lame attempt to make this less awkward, "It's your turn."

"I think," Aubrey says, "They met in their mid-thirties in a coffee shop. They both thought they were going to be alone all their lives, and now they have three kids."

It doesn't shock Beca that Aubrey might be the coffee shop/book store type. She hesitantly steps away from the wall to get a better look at the quilts placed across the beds. What kind of tiny ass needle stitched all those squares together? It takes standing directly next to Aubrey to realize there are tiny beads of sweat clinging to her skin, and her posture radiates discomfort now. Later, Beca will take pride in knowing she can hit all of Aubrey's nerves – right now, she feels maybe apologetic? Kind of? "I-"

"Just stop talking," Aubrey cuts her off before she undoubtedly makes it all worse.

Aye aye. Beca shuts her mouth. And they just stand there. Staring into the house. "I killed this whole vibe, didn't I?"

"Mhm."

"Wait, is it that guy from the place we had breakfast?" Beca blurts out suddenly, "Dude, he was cute, in a waiter-y sort of way. Like, if he was in street clothes-"

Aubrey slaps her thighs and walks right out of the building.


End file.
